1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to an article of manufacture. More specifically, this invention concerns itself with a one-piece seat cover for the automotive passenger seat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Seat coverings for upholstered furniture and for automotive seats have been available and in use for a number of years. These seat covers provide not only protection against damage to the covered seat, but also, more recently, provide enhancements in finish and decorative appeal.
As can be fully appreciated, the design of an automotive seat cover (to be commercially viable) must reasonably accommodate different seats of different automobile manufacturers. In the automotive market, where design and style of automotive interiors is keenly competitive, the designer of the seat cover is presented with a unique set of problems. Not only must the seat covering be cut full enough to be "universal" in fit, but it must also be provided with a variety of means to maintain it taut and wrinkle-free and otherwise faithfully conform to the contours of the seat to which it is fitted.
This is typically achieved by providing a series of resilient straps, draw strings or restraints which fasten one portion of the seat covering to another, or to the seat itself, and thereby retain the covering in a relatively taut condition. Thus, when the individual seat is in use, the restraints provide some resiliency and permit the seat cover to stretch and conform to the seat while in use. Upon the passenger exiting the vehicle, the restraints will return the seat covering to its taut condition thereby preserving the neat and unruffled appearance to the automotive interior.
Where the means for maintaining the seat cover in conformance with the contours of the seat are attached to the seat itself, the seat covering tends to shift and creep. Thus, after the passenger exits the vehicle, the covering appears rumpled or has typically shifted and does not provide an aesthetically attractive appearance.
Various manufacturers of seat covers provide different solutions to this problem; with a number of these solutions being embodied in the patent literature: i.e., U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,457; 2,313,878; 4,103,968; 1,996,575.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,457 (assigned to Universal Oil Products Co.) describes and claims an improved seat cover for a bucket seat in which the back of the seat is pivotally mounted to the seat base. The seat covering described in this patent consists of essentially two distinct and independent components; one component designed for covering the seat back and a second component designed for covering the seat cushion. The seat back cover is further provided with two panels, one of which extends from the back of the seat cover and the other extends from the front of the seat back cover. Both of these panels are connected by different spring tensioning means to the base of the seat. The spring tensioning means maintain the seat back cover in a taut and unwrinkled condition while permitting the seat back to be moved to a more upright or reclining position without readjustment in the seat covering or in the means which maintain it in a taut and wrinkle-free condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,313,878 is similar in its disclosure to the '457 patent in that the seat back cover is provided with a hold down panel which presumably is positioned between the seat back and the base of the seat and thereby maintains the seat back cover in a taut condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,435 describes and claims a slip cover for upholstered furniture. The slip cover is retained in a taut and wrinkle-free condition on what appears to be an upholstered foot stool by a series of laces in combination with spring tensioning means. A lacing twine is simply strung back and forth between fasteners which are arranged on opposite sides of the seat covering. The end of each string tie or lace is further provided with a spring which is affixed to an eyelet of the covering. Once the laces are in place and the spring attached as described above, the laces maintain the slip cover in a taut and wrinkle-free condition; and, further provide continuous tensioning means to maintain that slip cover in such condition even after repeated use. This patent is noteworthy in that both the laces and the spring tensioning means are affixed exclusively to the seat covering and not to the seat cushion or the springs of the seat cushion.
As is evident from review of the foregoing references, the ability to maintain a seat cover or slip cover in a taut and wrinkle-free condition, is of concern to the designers of these products. These products must, out of necessity, provide at least as attractive an appearance as the seat to which they are fitted, in order to achieve commercial acceptance. In each of the patents discussed in detail above, various means were suggested to achieve this result. However, it is apparent that each of these expedients still suffer from significant shortcoming; the principal being that the covering for the seat cushion is free to creep or drift, since it has no anchor fixed point of reference. More specifically, in each instance where there is an attempt to provide a seat cover for a seat cushion, such cover simply drapes the seat cushion and is free to move about. The only alternative presented by the art to prevent such movement is to essentially permanently anchor the covering to the seat frame with a plurality of what is referred to as "hog rings". These rings, upon being crimped, permanently attach the seat cover to the structure of the seat. As one can appreciate, this can require removal of the seat to be performed effectively and, in any event, does not lend itself to installation without tools and moderate effort.
Because of the foregoing and other limitations, the design of seat coverings from relatively expensive, natural materials (i.e. leather, lamb skins, etc.) has been restricted to those products of custom design; namely, designed for a specific vehicle seat. The use of such natural materials has, thus, up to now, not lent itself to high volume production. More specifically, the lack of universality of fit of the covering and the differences in seat design have prevented mass production techniques from filling the demand, at a reasonable price, for the upscale market for this product.
Accordingly, the ability to provide a universal seat cover free from the disadvantages present in the art remains to be resolved. Up to now, the only two choices which have been available was either to accept some degree of movement of the seat cover (with the problems inherent in such design) or to permanently anchor the seat cover to the seat cushion.